The Sickness of Insecurities
by bigeandhertv
Summary: C.C. starts to become aware that she isn't as young as she used to be. She becomes addicted to plastic surgery, until she suffers a complication. After this complication, Niles vows to show her how beautiful she really is!
1. Numbing the Pain

_**A/N: Hi everyone! I am finally getting around to fulfilling a request. Thanks to writerlikejo for the wonderful idea! Anyways, I hope you guys enjoy this first chapter.**_

Chapter 1 – Numbing the Pain

It was a cold and gloomy September morning. The clouds covered the sun and hung low. The air was thick with cold and the, normally; soft blue sky was painted a dreary gray. Gusts of wind were whipping the few tree branches in central park and daily commuters were having a difficult time driving, as they had to fight Mother Nature in addition to the traffic that they faced daily. To top it all off, rain looked as if it would be another contributing factor as the clouds began to open up and little droplets began to fall. These slow falling beads turned into rapid falling marbles soon enough and the umbrellas were immediately pulled out and blown inside out as the wind whipped under them.

Clearly, this dreary day was affecting the moods of many, for the citizens of New York City were even more pushy and obnoxious than usual.

C.C. Babcock was due to be at work at Maxwell Sheffield's mansion within the next hour. She got out of bed before throwing the curtain to the side and peering out her bedroom window. A spell was quickly cast upon her as a wave of impending doom flowed through her and she was instantly in a dreadful mood.

She had absolutely no desire whatsoever to commute in this horrendous weather and she decided to call Maxwell and tell him that she would not be coming into work this morning.

She immediately picked up the phone and dialed his number.

"Hello, Maxwell Sheffield speaking."

"Maxwell, I'm not feeling too well, I can't make it to work today."

"C.C. I need you here. We have very important contracts that I need you to look over and deliver. I know the weather is bad, but do you think you could make it here after lunch, at least?"

"Maxwell, I feel terrible."

"C.C. please, the success of our next run counts on you being here."

"Alright, Maxwell, just let me have a few hours to rest and I will be at the house after lunch hour."

"Thank you C.C., I can always count on you to come through for the company."

"Mmhm."

She was clearly annoyed and resented the fact that she had to go to work later on. Maxwell, however, didn't seem to notice.

"See you later, C.C."

"Bye Maxwell."

She hung up the phone and stared out the window a while longer before heading to the bathroom. She was about to begin her morning routine when she was struck by her appearance in the mirror. Although she had, no doubt, seen her reflection in the mirror every morning for the 40 years she'd been alive, it wasn't until this gloomy morning in September that she really took in every detail of her appearance.

This was the first time in all her life that she noticed every little tiny wrinkle and fine line etched on her face. The bags under her eyes from the hectic and busy career life she lived were quite evident to her as she gazed at her appearance in her large bathroom mirror.

C.C. had never been one to worry about aging before, for she knew it was a part of life and with age came wisdom and experience. Physically, her family had been known to age quite well and she figured that she would do the same.

However, as she stood there staring at every detail of her appearance, she began to notice the more pronounced wrinkles around her eyes, the fine lines on her forehead as the muscles in her face moved for expression, the bags under her eyes from the daily lack of sleep she experienced and the slight sagginess below her chin.

She had been through a great deal of emotional strain this last year or so with Nanny Fine's engagement and marriage to Maxwell and her stay at "The Place". She had gained a great deal of weight at that time in her life and although she lost the majority of it, she still had a few pesky pounds that refused to leave her frame.

So, on this gloomy September day would be the first time that C.C. would feel defeated about something, for even Nanny Fine's wedding to Maxwell didn't seem to completely sink into her brain.

On a sad note, she hopped into the shower and let the water run down her body, hoping that in some way her aging would be cleansed and her shielded youthfulness would be brought back to the surface.

But as she stepped out of the shower and padded herself dry, she saw herself in the mirror once again. It seemed as if all her imperfections were emphasized by the light film of dampness shown on her skin.

Of course, her mind immediately associated the signs of aging and the prospects of finding a man in the same train of thought. Her possibility of finding a suitable husband seemed to be dwindling with the time passed.

Although she had always wanted to find a husband before this point in her life, it was never a priority. She was dedicated first and foremost, to her career. Being fresh out of college when she started working as Maxwell Sheffield's secretary, she figured that she had ample time to find a man.

Now, however, she realized that she wasn't the same youthful, full of life and optimistic individual that she had been when she showed up, at age 22, on Maxwell Sheffield's doorstep.

She got dressed, putting on a white undershirt and her black business pants and blazer. She precisely put on her makeup, ending with application of her deep red lipstick.

She peered at herself in the mirror, once more. Her makeup was normally so successful in hiding the little imperfections on her face, but immediately she noticed the lines that she had before she applied the makeup. She thought about putting on more, but thinking that these efforts would prove to be futile, decided against.

She looked out the window once more. It was still raining and the sky was still cloaked in gray. She cursed to herself, knowing that she would have to leave for work in the next few minutes.

She looked at her golden wristwatch, sighed to herself, grabbed her Gucci umbrella and headed to the elevator. When reaching the base floor, she exited her apartment building and found the first open cab. Her cab ride was silent, and the sour look on her face gave every indication that she was not the type of person open for friendly chitchat.

She arrived at the Sheffield Mansion, paid the driver and rang the doorbell. Niles was immediately there, to answer it. She tried to put on her normal front of self assured business woman and managed to belt out her self confident and slightly condescending "Hello Hello" as came through the door.

"Miss Babcock, you are looking rather ancient this afternoon. It's great that someone took the time to polish you up."

"Can it rubber maid, where's Maxwell?"

"He already left, surely you didn't think he would wait around forever for your arrival."

"Well, I'll be in the office."

"Along with the other antiques, another piece to complement the collection."

She glared at him with a most menacing look that sent knives up his spine, before exiting the room.

She entered the office and although she didn't show it, his words stung harder than usual. It seemed as if she wasn't the only that noticed her decaying youth that day.

She searched the desk, and found the contracts that Maxwell had mentioned earlier. She sat down and briskly read through them, marking up the areas that clearly would not benefit the company in any way. She would definitely need to speak to Maxwell about renegotiation of this contract.

Her palette was getting quite dry and she decided to page Niles for a bottle of water. He groaned through the intercom but immediately granted her request, nonetheless.

"Thank you, Niles, I was parched."

"Well, we wouldn't want you to shrivel up and die, now would we Babs", he said sarcastically before patting her on the head like a dog. Even though brief, he loved the feeling of her soft blonde locks in the palm of his hand and it took of the strength he could muster to stop his hand from lingering there for a little longer.

"Very funny. Do you have any idea when Maxwell plans on coming back? I have read through these contracts and there are demands that are just outrageous."

"Well if he's seen you, then I would expect that he doesn't plan on coming back at all", Niles smirked at his insult.

Although she tried to remain collected and confident, his words started to eat at her as she thought about her epiphany in the mirror earlier that day. She would no doubt need a good cry later on, but she refused to give the help the satisfaction of seeing her upset.

Niles met her sky blue irises for a brief moment. Although she appeared all right from a distance, he thought for a moment he saw hurt captured in her irises as his own cerulean eyes bore into them. He instantly regretted insulting her. He would have apologized if it weren't for the fact that she instantly snapped at him.

"What are you still doing in here, toilet brush? I have work to attend to. Leave, and make sure the door doesn't hit your ass on the way out!"

She immediately returned to her work, for the truth was she couldn't look at him as she sat there, every wise crack he made about her age and appearance rising to the surface. Insults that didn't have any effect on her before had suddenly popped into her mind and hurt her feelings. Truth be told, she took to heart what he said about her appearance more so than any of the other men in her life. It was about time, she had a good stiff drink.

She poured herself a glass of scotch and quickly dumped it down her gullet, wincing slightly as it burned the walls of her throat. This had become a habit of hers over the years and she realized that she had been driven to drink countless times by that rotten excuse for a man. It was the only way she knew how to relieve the sting of his insults. Unfortunately, it was like adding salt to a wound, for she just felt worse after doing it. And yet, she could think of no better solution, for enough drinks in her might numb the pain she felt.

She downed several more glasses of scotch one by one. No more work would be getting done today as the words on every page she read became blurry. She figured at this point, it was late enough to leave, for Maxwell must have had no intention of coming back anytime soon.

_I haven't heard that voice all day. He is probably out with Nanny Fine! Thank God someone is here to keep this company afloat!_

She stood up from Maxwell's desk and stumbled a little before gaining her balance. She had no intention of staying here any longer. She downed yet another glass of scotch for the road, before stumbling out of his office.

Niles was in the living room vacuuming when he noticed C.C. walking towards the door. He could tell immediately that she was extremely inebriated, for he had seen her like this countless times. He was confused, however, as to why she would get drunk at work on a completely normal day.

"Miss Babcock, stay away from that candle, or you'll start the whole house on fire!"

Her mind was fuzzy and she was having a hard time coming up with an insult.

"Shut up, boilet trush and get my coat."

Hearing her slur her words, he was immediately concerned about her welfare.

"Miss Babcock, as much as I would love to see you walk off a bridge in your drunken stupor, I really don't think you should be leaving by yourself. Stay here a while longer and sober up a bit."

"I am fine, Niles, now bring me my coat!"

"At least let me give you a ride to your apartment."

"Ok…"

He helped her to the town car and she crawled into the back seat. Before he even started the engine, she was completely sprawled out, asleep in the backseat. He stretched back there to check on her. Determining that she was asleep and breathing normally, he pulled the car out and headed to her penthouse.

He arrived there with incredible timing. She was still asleep in the back seat and he opened the back door and shook her lightly.

"Miss Babcock, we've arrived at your building, wake up."

She was in such a heavy sleep that his light shakes were having no effect on her. With all the strength he could muster, he scooped her up in his arms and used his backside to push the door shut.

He walked to the front of the building and again used his body to push the door open. He walked to the elevator and pushed the up button. The door opened soon enough and shut with them inside. At this point, his arms were extremely tired and he lightly put her on the ground as they rode the elevator up to her floor.

During this short elevator ride, he took in everything about her. She looked so peaceful when she was asleep and if he didn't know any better he would have sworn she was an angel from her beautiful porcelain cheeks. He tucked her hair behind her ears, making sure it didn't get caught on anything.

_Oh C.C., you have no idea how beautiful you are. What made you drink so much tonight?_

He was lost in his thoughts as the elevator arrived to her floor. He scooped her up once more, until he arrived at her door

He lightly put her down again, before searching her purse for the apartment key. He quickly found it, and opened the door. He picked her up again and walked her to her bedroom, where he lightly put her down on the bed. He took off her shoes and threw the covers over her, trying to make her as comfortable as possible, for surely she would feel the effects of her inebriation in the morning.

He ran to the kitchen, grabbed a large glass of water and a couple of aspirin and left them on her bedside table. He took her in one last time as she slept peacefully on the bed.

He whispered one last remark to her; however, he knew that she would most likely never hear it.

"Miss Babcock, if it was something I said, I really truly am, sorry."

He planted a kiss lightly on her forehead before leaving her bedroom, shutting the door behind him, walking out of her apartment and locking the door with the spare key.

He rode the elevator and headed to the town car, where he drove home completely lost in his thoughts.

He couldn't help but worry, as he wondered what exactly made Miss Babcock drink a tumbler full of Maxwell's scotch.

Surely if he would have known it was on his account, he wouldn't have insulted her so readily.


	2. Sudden Idea

_**A/N: Sorry for the slow update. I am sure many of the college students are quite busy wrapping up their semesters. I am such a student. Anyways, shout outs to Kittensbreath, Shara Michelle, writerlikeJo, LaurenLaneLover, rx9872, ladybrin, ElectraE and Lucky Starz for reviewing the first chapter. I hope you all continue to read and review!**_

Chapter 2 – Sudden Idea

C.C. woke up the next morning with a headache so excruciating it felt as if she had been stomped on the head by a herd of elephants repeatedly. Although, she had had many hangovers in her day, this one could be classified as one of her worst, for she felt an extreme nausea on top of the migraine.

She could barely remember what happened the night before or how she had gotten back to her penthouse. This fact petrified her tremendously, for she usually kept herself in check and could normally hold her liquor quite well.

She slowly tossed the covers off herself, before looking at the big red numbers on her digital alarm clock. She realized, then, that she was supposed to be at work in the next 10 minutes. There was no way she would be on time today.

She decided to call the mansion to let Maxwell know that she would be late. She dialed the number and was greeted by Niles, who seemed to be in a cheery mood.

"Hello Miss Babcock! Did the liver survive? Oh and Jack called, said one of the distillery's blew, a big mess and he needed a lush to suck it all up."

"Can it, lint trap! I have a terrible headache and I really don't have time for your crap this morning! Put Maxwell on the phone!"

"I'm sorry, but Mr. Sheffield already left, do you need to confess you unreturned feelings for him so early in the morning?"

"Just tell him I'll be late!"

With that, she slammed down the receiver and hopped out of bed. She realized, then, that she still had her business attire on from the night before.

_Wow, I don't remember a thing. How in God's name did I make it back here alive?_

She looked over at the bedside table with this thought in her mind and saw the aspirin and glass of water that Niles had placed there the night before. She would figure out the identity of her savior later. Right now, she needed a cure and so she popped the aspirin in her mouth and quickly washed them down with the lukewarm glass of water in effort to rid herself of the headache and nausea.

She stripped out of the business suit and out of her undergarments, letting them fall to the floor before heading to the bathroom.

Again, she took into consideration every little detail of her appearance. Being that she was extremely hung-over, the light hitting the bathroom worsened her headache and she squeezed her eyes together hoping to minimize the brightness somewhat. She brought her face closer to the mirror and again, noticed every little wrinkle on the sides of her face, the bags under her eyes, the lines etched in her forehead and the slight droopiness below her neck.

As she took in her appearance, it suddenly dawned on her why she had downed so much alcohol the night before and the sting of Niles' insults returned to the surface once more.

She hated the fact that what he said got to her so much, and she didn't understand why this was so.

_Maybe it's because Niles is the one person whom you hope would think you are beautiful!_

Regardless of the truthfulness of this statement, C.C. scolded herself for thinking this way before hopping into the shower.

She quickly finished up before putting on a dark blue business suit and precisely putting on her makeup. She quickly grabbed her purse and keys and headed out of her apartment, down the elevator and to her BMW.

She arrived at the Sheffield mansion about an hour late. She rushed to the door, rang the bell and waited as Niles slowly approached the door before opening it.

"Hello, Hello" she said unenthusiastically as Niles slowly removed her coat, his fingertips brushing her shoulders as he did so.

Lightening shot through them both at this smidgen of contact, but neither one of them would ever admit it to one another.

"Is Maxwell, back yet? I need to see if he looked over the changes I made on those contracts."

"Nope, he is still out. Why don't you go join the other antiquities in the office and wait for him!"

"Gosh, you are so infuriating! I am sure the decay I smell in this room is coming from another source."

His lips upturned in a slight grin as he let her throw an insult his way. Of course, he didn't realize that his smile became a little more evident than he was aware of and C.C. noticed it immediately.

"What is so damn funny, Rochester?"

"Oh nothing, Babs, it's just, you've been on the shelf so long, I forgot to dust you off. You were there long before the others, you know."

With that said, he jokingly ran the feather duster along her shoulder blades and behind her neck. Although C.C. was quite infuriated at his remark, she had to suppress the urge to laugh with all the strength she could muster, for the duster was quite ticklish along the back of her neck.

"Stop it dust buster! Keep that filthy thing away from me!"

He obliged her request and the two of them met eyes for a moment. Although nothing else was said, something seemed to pass between them as their blue irises bore into one another. Niles heart was in his throat as he realized that their proximity was closer than usual. There heads were only mere inches away from one another.

C.C. quickly snapped out of her trance as she heard Fran Fine squeal in the other room. She immediately ran to see what the bubbly nanny was making a fuss over, while Niles went back to his work.

"Nanny Fine, what is so damn exciting?" Before she answered, however, C.C. looked at the T.V. screen and knew immediately that Fran was watching a soap opera.

"Honestly, Nanny Fine, how do you sit here and watch this dribble in the middle of the afternoon?

"Miss Babcock, can't you see I'm at a really good part right now. Bridgett just found out that Brooke, who is her mother, slept with her husband and is pregnant with his child."

Although C.C. would never admit it, she was slightly intrigued by the show and she continued to stand behind the couch and watch it.

"Wow, all of these woman look so young! How do they do it?"

Fran took both her hands and pushed up her cheeks before flattening her hands and lifting up her breasts.

"Oh. I guess that explains it."

"Yeah, but if you ask me a few of them go a little bit overboard. Look at Taylor's lips. The Botox is just outrageous."

"Yes…well I better get back to the office and finish up whatever work Maxwell wants me to do."

She briskly walked away and headed into the office. Maxwell had some scripts on his desk with a post it attached to them, saying to read through them all and pick the best one.

C.C. sat down at the desk, picked up one of the scripts and began reading. She continued to skim through them and finished the vast majority of them before the door opened and Niles appeared in the office.

"Miss Babcock, I brought you some tea."

"Well, what are you waiting for, bring it over here old man!"

"Takes one to know one, doesn't Babs?"

"Can it, would you, and bring me the tea already!"

"Being raised in high society, I would expect that the word _please_ was introduced to your vocabulary."

"You are the butler, Rochester. Now do as you're told!"

"Why some guy hasn't swept you off your feet, I'll never know", Niles said sarcastically before granting her request.

C.C. just glared at him before returning to her work. Niles put the tray down on the desk before heading to the door.

"A simple thank you would have been nice and you know, you shouldn't drink so much."

He walked out of the room as her mouth dropped open and she cocked her head in confusion at his response. She had no idea that he was referring to more than just bringing her a cup of tea.

C.C. just stared at the door for a few minutes, not sure what he meant before returning back to her work. After an hour more of reading the scripts, she was completely exhausted and definitely needed a mental break.

She stood up from the desk and walked out of the office heading to the kitchen. Niles was there, chopping some vegetables for dinner later that night.

"Any coffee left Butler Boy? I'm exhausted and could really use a pick me up."

"Hold on, let me get the pledge!"

"Shut up, Niles and make my coffee!"

"Don't you see I'm in the middle of something Babcock? Make it yourself!"

"Isn't that your job, Butler Boy?"

"Not for you, but I suppose, in your generation coffee pots were hard to come by, so I guess I'll make an exception."

"You are infuriating!"

"Now, now, Babs, be nice or I'll have to change my mind."

She gave him a look that could kill before he stepped away from the vegetables, grabbed a coffee filter, put water in the pot and began making the coffee.

"Coffee's done Babs! What would you like in it? Brighton had an interesting spice in his shoe that would provide an excellent kick for that coffee!"

"Shut it, lint trap! I would like half and half. Now, do your job!"

He obliged her request and put the creamer in her coffee.

"Here you go, Babs! And look, I even served it in a clean cup! Although, I am sure you are used to a little murkiness in your drinks considering they didn't have sewer systems in your time."

He smiled at his own wisecrack. However, C.C. wasn't so thrilled and it was evident on her face that his insults about her age were getting to her once again. He could immediately tell that something was different about her but he wasn't sure exactly why.

Before he could ask her about her sudden change in demeanor, however, she quickly barged through the door and slammed it behind her before briskly heading back to the office. Maxwell was still not back yet and C.C. was, again, left alone to do loads of work by herself. She hated the fact that Niles' insults had been getting to her so much. She pulled her compact out of her purse and looked at her reflection in it. As she took in her face, she thought about the woman she saw earlier on the soap opera and how they seemed to look younger as the years went by. She would have never considered getting plastic surgery before, but she felt desperate as she wanted to preserve her youthfulness as long as possible. She figured she would just have a quick procedure done and 10 years would be taken off her face.

With this thought in mind, she dialed a number to her one of her old sorority sisters, whom she talked with off and on.

"Betsy! Hi, it's C.C. I have a question. What is the name of the doctor you go to...to you know, get your face worked on?"

"Oh Dr. Levitas! Yes, his practice has grown substantially since I became one of his clients. So you're finally going to take my advice."

"Well, I suppose a consultation wouldn't hurt. Do you have his number?"

"Of course, dear."

She read C.C. the number and they exchanged superficial goodbyes before C.C. began dialing the number to his office.

"Hello Dr. Levitas' office, how may I help you?"

"Hi, I would like to schedule a consultation."

"Name?"

She was ashamed about the idea of getting work done, so she decided to use an alternate ego so that no one in high society would immediately know she was getting work done. Sure, she wanted to look younger, but she didn't want the whole city to know she was paying for it.

"Clarice Buveay."

"Alright, Ms. Buveay, we have an opening for next Wednesday around 2:00pm."

"That's perfect."

"Alright, I'll pencil you in."

"Thank you."

"Take care now."

The two of them hung up the phone. C.C. slowly sipped on her coffee and went back to her work. Little did she know, that Niles had been listening at the door to the majority of her conversation and was both curious and a little worried as he wondered why C.C. Babcock had scheduled a consultation to see a doctor that next week.

Surely, if he had realized she was planning on seeing a plastic surgeon, he would have made sure to tell her just how beautiful he really thought she was.


	3. Making Her Crazy

**Hello Hello my fellow readers and writers! So excited to share this chapter with you and I will again take the time to specifically thank writerlikejo, rx9872, ladybrin, Lucky Starz, lynnylou31 for reviewing chapter 2! Reviews keep me writing. Anyways, I hope you all enjoy this chapter.**

Niles stood at the door with slight worry etched on his face as he processed the words he had taken in from the phone conversation C.C. Babcock had seconds earlier. He wondered, first and foremost, why she would be seeing a doctor and secondly, why would she use a fake name? What was wrong with her and why would she feel the need to hide it? Niles always knew that C.C. wasn't the type of person that dumped her problems on the world, but honestly, if something was horribly wrong with her, she deserved to have someone to support her through the ordeal.

He thought for a moment about asking her flat out, but he knew it would be a long shot, for if she were trying to keep something from someone, she certainly wouldn't confide in_ him_ of all people. As true as this was, his worry for her pushed him to try and get information out of her anyway.

He briskly walked through the door and was immediately greeted by a deathly stare from Babcock.

"What do you want?"

He was used to coming up with excuses to see her in the office and was quick to come up with a response.

"Oh just dusting a few things here and there. Oh, and of course, the couch needs to be polished."

"Couldn't you have done that earlier? Like when I was at lunch?"

"Well to avoid seeing your mug, I would have, but unfortunately I was slaving away at Brighton's shower scum and could not attend to it earlier."

"I wondered why the stench of Comet was so much more potent than usual!"

"I didn't notice with the stench of your decaying youth permeating throughout the room!"

"This coming from a man who catered at Lincoln's inauguration. Now as much as I am enjoying this conversation, I must get back to reading this scripts."

As worried as he was about her for calling a doctor, he couldn't help but grin at her insult and fiery personality. She was such a hellion and, quite frankly, he loved it.

C.C. pushed her black rimmed glasses up her nose and continued to read over the script…or attempt to read over the script for she was extremely distracted by the presence of this rotten excuse for a man.

Niles continued to pretend he was dusting and stole numerous glances at C.C. He immediately knew she was distracted and wondered if it was because of her doctor's appointment.

He gathered his composure while pondering whether or not a more direct approach to get the truth out of her would work. He decided to give it a try.

"Miss Babcock?"

"What do you want now?"

"Is something wrong?"

"What gave you that impression, Butler boy?"

He debated on whether or not to tell her about the phone conversation he overheard her having. Deciding it was the only way he could explain his sudden intuition, he told her.

"Well, I guess I left the intercom on by accident and I heard you say something about going to the doctor…"

"Leave it to the yenta butler to listen in on my private conversations."

"Miss Babcock, I'm serious, really, is everything all right?"

_Is it true? Butler boy is actually concerned about my health? No it couldn't be. I'm sure he just wants to know because it kills him not to know everybody's business in the entire house._

She looked into his eyes with these thoughts in her mind while attempting to uncover his intentions. A spark flew between them and she wondered for a minute if he really was indeed worried about her. As quick the spark flew, however, the two of them broke their glances from one another, both slightly flustered at prolonged eye contact.

Having a hard time looking back up at him, C.C. peered downward at the script in front of her before speaking.

"Everything is fine, Niles, just a regular physical. Now if you don't mind, I must get back to work."

Niles took one last look at the breathtakingly beautiful woman sitting at the desk in front of him. He just had a feeling in his gut that something was wrong but knew for now that there was no way he would get it out of her. After all, who confides in their arch nemesis?

He made one last remark before leaving the room.

"Miss Babcock, if something more is wrong, people deserve to know. _Please_, don't hesitate to tell me if there is more to the story."

C.C. slowly looked up at him as he exited the room. A feeling she could not identify flowed through her body as she took in his words. As much as it pained her to admit it, he was the only person who could change the state of her mind so abruptly. One minute, she could wring his neck for his insolence, the next minute she could kiss him for his kindness. The help made her crazy and, damn, she hated him for it.

But as much as she tried to convince herself that she was utterly repulsed by this man who frequently smelled of cleaning products, the warm feeling flowing through her body at the expression of his kindness and worry told her otherwise.

Needless to say, she got little work done the rest of the day as countless thoughts flowed through her mind. Other than that quick trip to Switzerland she made 6 years ago to get her thighs worked on, C.C. had never gotten any plastic surgery done before and never even thought about letting them touch her face. Although it was just a consultation that she had scheduled for next week, she couldn't help but feel anxious at the thought of it. The possibilities were endless. What if they said she was beyond repair? What if they performed the surgery and messed up her entire face?

Second thoughts about the entire thing were pouring through her mind. Not to mention, her society "friends" and _the help_ wouldn't let her live this down if they found out.

It was getting late at this point and C.C. wondered why Maxwell was nowhere to be found, once again. Surely, he was at the theatre and not with Nanny Fine. But as much as she wanted to believe this, she figured otherwise.

She stood up and gathered up the pile of scripts that she had barely made a dent in. Maybe it would be easier to read them with out the distraction of the butler. She placed her glasses into her purse and strolled out of the office.

A wave of tiredness hit her suddenly and she decided to get a coffee for the road from the kitchen. Niles was in there, cooking dinner, as C.C. entered the room.

"Babs, what brings you in here this time of night?"

"Coffee, Hazel! I need a pick me up."

"I would, but I don't think I could lift you!"

"Can it would you and make me a pot!"

"Miss Babcock, again, you fail to notice that I am in the middle of something!"

"Oh please, I just saw you put that chicken in the oven, so unless you need to stare at the oven while it cooks, you could spare a few minutes to make me a pot of coffee."

"I keep forgetting that you don't know how to work a coffee pot." 

"Can it Rubber Maid. And if you must know, I own one!"

"Oh well then, you certainly do not need _me_ to make you a pot if you're such an independent woman and all."

"Oh no, don't you try and worm your way out of this one, Niles."

Just then, Maxwell, walked into the kitchen.

"Honestly, I come home and the first thing I hear is you two bickering in the kitchen. C.C. I thought you would have left by now."

"I was just getting a cup of coffee for the road, but Niles was refusing to do his job."

"Oh sir, she doesn't understand that I have to cook dinner to put on the table for the family."

"Honestly, you two. You're worse than the children! Niles, make Miss Babcock a cup of coffee and please manage to behave like adults when I leave the room."

With that, he briskly left the kitchen. C.C. and Niles simultaneously rolled their eyes at him before Niles proceeded to the coffee pot.

C.C. sat down at the table with one hand on her cheek, propping her head up. Her eyes bore into the wall as the thoughts she had earlier crept back into her mind.

Niles was sure that she was thinking hard about something, for he stared at her frequently when she was in deep thought.

Suddenly having the urge to be closer to her, he sat down in the chair next to her, while taking in the scent of her perfume.

C.C. was so lost in her thoughts that she didn't initially notice his presence. That is, until his unique scent tickled her nostrils and she immediately turned to face him.

The tension was so thick you could cut it with a knife as the two sets of blue irises bore into one another. Niles could feel his heart start to pump faster as he admired her soft blue eyes.

C.C. was the first to break the eye contact once again. Her eyes darted from his, down to the floor and stopped on the wooden table. Her heart was beating wildly at this point and she wondered now, if she even needed the coffee anymore. She put both hands on her cheeks to cover up how flushed she was by his presence.

He couldn't get over how her shoulder length blonde hair framed her face and he had to fight the desire that he had to run his fingers through it this very moment.

He was thankful for the sound of the coffee pot signaling it was ready and rushed over to pour her some in a capped coffee cup.

"Half and half, Miss Babcock", he stumbled on his words.

"Um…yes", she managed to muster.

He shakily handed her the cup of coffee before she quickly gathered up the scripts once more and walked out of the kitchen to the front door. She was on the way out, when she realized she didn't have her coat.

At this point Niles had gathered his composure somewhat and had followed her into the living room. He quickly grabbed her coat and helped her put it on before resting his hands on her shoulders. They lingered like this for longer than necessary before abruptly breaking apart from one another.

He managed to fluster her once again as she imagined his strong hands that had been on her shoulders just seconds earlier. But as quickly as her want and desire for his touch had heightened it was gone for the last thing he said to her was an insult.

"We wouldn't want you to become brittle from the cold. You fit so well with the heirlooms in the office."

She didn't even look at him as she briskly walked out the door and slammed it behind her.

Niles immediately felt guilty as he realized most of his insults the last few days had come at the expense of her age. For the first time, he wondered if maybe his remarks were hurting her in some way. Clearly, the way she slammed the door just now might have been an indication.

He decided to run out the door and see if he could catch her and apologize. As he went out there, however, he was greeted by the sound of her screeching tires as she sped off.

C.C. drove the rest of the way home with his words eating at her. She promised herself, however, that she wouldn't cry at his expense tonight. _Why does he do this to me? I really do hate him!_

She continued her drive home and made it there with good timing. She took the elevator up to her penthouse, pulled the key out of her purse and opened the door. She immediately locked it behind her before dropping her purse on the counter and heading to the master bathroom.

Grabbing her makeup remover and a cloth, she wiped off her eye and facial makeup before taking another look at her face in the mirror. Again, she noticed every little fine line on her face.

She could no longer keep the promise she made to herself as tears streamed down her face. It wasn't just a few tears either. C.C. cried buckets that night, keeping a box of tissues next to her as she crawled into bed.

As much as she cried and questioned her worthiness, one thing was clear to her as she drifted off to sleep. She planned on going to that consultation and she had every intention of looking youthful once again.

_I will look damn good and that rotten excuse for a man will eat every word he said to me. _

Little did she know that fate had a way turning one's life completely upside down.


	4. Delayed Reassurance

_**A/N: Hi everyone! Let me quickly thank lynnylou31, writerlikejo, ladybrin, rx9872, Lucky Starz and ElectraE for reviewing chapter 3. Let me also thank ruby890 for beginning to read the story and taking the time to review every chapter. Anyways, I hope you all enjoy this next chapter and this story should pick up in the next few chapters!**_

Chapter 4 – Delayed Reassurance

C.C. sat in the lobby of Dr. Levitas' office waiting anxiously to be called in by one of the nurses. The more she pondered about getting work done, the more nervous she became as she thought about the consequences of a screw up.

As worried as she was however, she figured that she couldn't look much worse than she did now and decided that the benefits outweighed the risks when getting these procedures. With this thought in mind, she continued to sit with her eyes glued on the door waiting to be called.

The door swung open soon enough and a middle aged brunette nurse appeared in the doorway.

"Clarice Buveay."

C.C. didn't move from her chair as she forgot that she had given an alias.

"Clarice Buveay?"

The repeat of the name hit her and C.C. sprung up immediately to greet the nurse. Although this nurse was thankful to have employment, she hated seeing many beautiful middle-aged socialites come through this door on a daily basis. This woman, in particular, struck her as exceedingly gorgeous and if they were in some other setting she would do all in her power to convince her not to go through with any plastic surgery. Unfortunately her job and paycheck depended on the amount of business that came into the office and so she held her tongue at that moment just like she would have on any other day.

"In here Miss Buveay. Dr. Levitas will be in shortly."

The nurse quickly walked out as C.C. made herself comfortable in the chair. She continued to think about both the pros and cons of getting work done when she was greeted by Dr. Levitas himself.

"Hello Ms. Buveay! I'm Dr. Levitas."

He held out his hand for her to shake and she extended her own into a brief handshake before he continued.

"So what brings you to my office? What are your concerns?"

She thought for a moment trying to form the right words in her mind before answering his question.

"Just a few minor things. I would like to get rid of these wrinkles, puffy eyes and the sagginess under my neck. You know, the typical complaints."

"Well, I looked through your medical history and you seem to be a good candidate for two different procedures, both low risk. A face lift and a Blepharoplasty or eyelid surgery."

"What does eyelid surgery do?"

"It is for improving droopy lids and puffy eyes. I have done the procedure countless times and it is very low risk."

"But there are complications?"

"Possible complications, yes. Here, read this brochure. It lists the risk involved with the surgery."

He handed her the pamphlet and she read over it quickly. Most of the risks seemed quite minimal but she worried slightly nonetheless. She again had second thoughts about getting work done, but was greeted with her reflection as she looked up and saw a mirror on the door. Her thoughts were immediately put to rest.

"I would like to get both procedures done."

"Okay Ms. Buveay, are you sure this is what you want?"

"I most certainly am. Can I schedule them today?"

"At the front desk with the receptionist. These two procedures have to be spread out over the course of a few months for recovery time. Now what I can do is schedule you for a Botox injection. They typically last 2-3 months. The effects take place quicker than surgery but are very representative of the effects that surgery has on your appearance."

"When can I get that done?"

"Well I can schedule you next week for Botox in the face. In the meantime, did you have any other concerns?"

"I've never liked my upper lip."

"Well that would require a very small injection. I have enough to do that now. Would you like an injection? It would give you a sense of how Botox works and feels."

She thought for only a second before answering simply.

"Yes."

With that said, Dr. Levitas prepared her needle and carefully injected to Botox into her lips.

She was quite surprised, as she felt virtually nothing when the injection was complete. The look on her face gave this surprise away.

"Miss Babcock, is something wrong?"

"Nothing really, I just expected it to feel more numb or something."

"A common misconception. Botox really has no sensation after injection. It will feel tight but it takes several hours for those effects to take place. In the meantime, you are free to go back to work and carry on your day as normal."

"Great, am I all set?"

"You're all set. Schedule your next appointment at the front desk with the receptionist and I'll see you soon."

With that said the two of them walked out of the room and went their separate ways. C.C. scheduled her Botox for next week as well as her face surgeries, which would occur several months later.

She headed out the door, hopped into her BMW and drove back to the Sheffield mansion to continue her work. Niles, immediately greeted her at the door.

The last few days had been hell for him as he worried about C.C.'s welfare on daily basis. He had even laid off a little bit on the insults while hoping that maybe he could convince her to tell him what was wrong with her.

He caught himself taking in her perfume as he slowly slipped off her coat, his fingertips briefly running along her shoulder blades.

With all the strength she could muster, C.C. managed to hold back the soft purr of approval that was begging to escape from her lips. She felt her cheeks starting to flush and immediately rushed into the kitchen hoping to get some leftover coffee. She also had no intention of giving Niles the satisfaction of seeing her flustered.

She saw the coffee pot was on and hoped that is was hot as she approached it. She quickly grabbed herself a cup and started to pour when the door opened and Niles entered the kitchen.

She wasn't sure why, but for some reason she was having a very hard time looking at him, so she pretended to be focused on the coffee as she finished pouring herself a cup and loading it up with creamer and a little bit of sugar.

Niles approached her slowly and immediately noticed something different about her appearance. He couldn't quite put his finger on what it was that was different, for the change wasn't drastic. He did know however, she did not look like this earlier that morning.

Regardless of this change, she was still the most beautiful woman in the world in his eyes and on this particularly day, he felt obligated to tell her so.

He had a hard time speaking but hoped that things would be less weird between them if he was a little bit nicer to her. Of course, when were these two ever nice to one another?

"Miss Babcock...you look…"

"Spit it out, Niles!"

"I just wanted to say that you look…very pretty today."

"What do you want?"

"Nothing."

"Niles, you would never say that to me unless there was some sort of ulterior motive behind it."

"Miss Babcock, take the compliment. As much as it pains me to say this, you really don't give yourself enough credit sometimes. "

He inched closer to her while taking in the scent of her perfume once again. Their faces were inches away from one another at this point and both of their hearts were pumping wildly at this extreme close proximity. C.C. still had the cup of lukewarm coffee in her hand at this point and it the only thing that was keeping them from touching.

Niles could tell so much about her as both sets of their blue irises met one another at this close proximity. Maybe he would be able to break down some of the walls she had put up for so many years to shield the world from her vulnerability and insecurities.

Without thinking his hand was up, cupping her cheek and he was quite surprised as she did not back away from him at the contact. Instead, she just lingered there as if frozen in time.

Mesmerized by one another, the two of them were enchanted by the eyes of one another and their lips inched closer together until mere millimeters stood between them. They were interrupted, however, by the bursting open of the door coupled with a simultaneous crash as C.C. dropped her coffee cup, causing coffee to splash all over the both of them and the cup to shatter on the hard tile floor.

The two of them broke apart wide-eyed at all that just occurred between them in a matter of minutes.

"C.C., I'm glad you're back. There is much work to do if we are going to lure investors for our new show. Niles, what is the mess?"

C.C. was having a hard time finding her voice at this point.

"Sorry Sir, I...uh…dropped Miss Babcock's coffee….would you like another cup, Miss Babcock?"

His eyes met her sky blue ones once again.

She managed to nod her head at his question and he proceeded to clean up the mess. She was wearing a skirt today and he immediately noticed that some coffee had splashed up onto her leg.

Maxwell had just left the kitchen as this point and C.C. was following him when Niles put his hand lightly on her shoulder to stop her.

"Miss Babcock, you…uh…got some coffee on your leg…would you like something to wipe it off?"

She was still having a hard time responding to him and she quickly nodded her head before sitting down at the table and crossing her legs. Niles shakily handed her a paper towel with a smidgen of soap and water to wipe it off. However, she was having a difficult time, for the skirt she had on was fairly long and made it quite difficult for her to maneuver her leg and ankle correctly. Niles was immediately perceptive of her difficulty but was having a hard time asking her if he could help.

"Niles…would you mind…", she beckoned with her forehead.

Immediately, he obeyed her, but did his work slowly as he wiped the coffee off her leg. His fingertips brushed the inside of her ankle and sent sparks of electricity through both of them. His hand lingered there for several seconds longer as he embedded the memory into his brain before slowly removing his hand and standing up.

She looked up into his eyes and the two of them remained like this before Maxwell's booming voice sounded over the intercom.

"C.C., where are you? I just pray you and Niles haven't killed each other yet! Niles, the coffee cup better be cleaned up, there were shards everywhere. "

C.C. immediately scurried out of the room and into Maxwell's office as Niles sulked over to the intercom and answered it.

"Yes Mr. Sheffield, I'm cleaning it and Miss Babcock will be in your office momentarily if she isn't already."

"Good, now get back to work and let me know when Fran gets home would you?"

"Of course sir."

C.C. burst through the office door at the end of their conversation.

"C.C., nice of you to join me. Now, I've narrowed it down to these three scripts. Could you read over them once more please?"

Completely preoccupied, C.C. missed everything he just said to her.

"What Maxwell?"

"The scripts, C.C.!"

"Oh yes, of course, I'll read them."

She walked over and took them off his desk before placing herself onto the green sofa. She attempted to read them, but as she proceeded to do so the events that had happened and what they ALMOST led to clouded her thoughts. She read the same line at least a dozen times as she tried desperately to get her work done.

Just as she was able to finally clear her head, Niles walked into the office once again and her brain immediately turned to mush. He handed her a fresh cup of coffee and left a cup of tea for Maxwell before proceeding out the door. Before exiting, his eyes drifted toward the sofa and landed on C.C. once again.

As stoic as she appeared from a distance, he was perceptive of the fact that she was distracted. The closeness between the two of them drove him wild but seeing her brought him back to reality as he realized that he still hadn't figured out what was wrong with her. The expression in her eyes told him that something major was the matter.

Whatever it was, he just hoped and prayed that he could get to the bottom of everything before it was too late.

From now on, he planned on reassuring her on just how amazing of a person he really thought she was. Little did he know, that his reassurance had come just a little too late.


End file.
